The Causal Inefficacy of the Mental and the Explanatory Success of Psychology

Abstract

The so called "deflationary strategies" have been a relatively popular option for dealing with the problem of the supposed causal inefficacy of mental states in non-reductive materialism. The proposals of both, Lynn Baker and Tyler Burge, developed in the context of this strategy, point out the need to reduce the weight of metaphysical reflection in favor of the analysis of mental explanation as a source to solve (or "dissolve") the problems of mental causation. Contrary to this claim, I hold that, even if reflection about mental causation is possible without metaphysics, the difficulties for these strategies in building a notion of psychological explanation, in addition to the generalised explanatory competence in psychological theorisation, are almost insuperable.